Svetlana
Gaidukova

Before becoming a coach, Svetlana built her career in arenas where resilience and clarity were non-negotiable. She began as a national volleyball player, trained to perform under pressure. Later, she graduated from the Stockholm School of Economics, it felt like winning a marathon. From there, she moved into business leadership, transforming loss-making companies into market leaders and proving that even in chaos, discipline and courage drive growth.

Then came the career transition that changed everything. Within two weeks, Svetlana went from media manager in a large corporate holding to CEO of a fintech startup. On the surface, the leap looked bold; underneath, she was disoriented. Calling a coach became the most important decision of her career. In just eight months, coaching gave her clarity, rebuilt momentum, and helped her steer the company back to growth — showing her the true power of coaching.

The experience was a turning point. What began as one breakthrough in her career became a calling to help other leaders find the same clarity and courage. That moment marked the true start of her coaching journey.

Over the past decade, Svetlana has built a trusted track record across industries. She has supported 500+ executives and shareholders, delivered 2,000+ hours of coaching, and worked with companies from fintech scale-ups to global enterprises. With 20 years in leadership and more than ten corporate turnarounds, she brings both strategic insight and lived experience into every engagement.

Her approach — the Grit & Grace Method — blends top-level certifications, her credentials as an INSEAD-certified executive coach and Lumina practitioner, and her background as a FinTech CEO and professional athlete. It is a way of coaching that is rigorous, practical, and deeply human.

The Grit & Grace Method is a multi-method coaching approach built for today’s fast-moving leadership and organizational challenges. It unites the grit of an athlete, the mind of a CEO, and the empathy of a coach — blending INSEAD frameworks, Lumina psychometric tools, and real-world transformation experience into one powerful practice.

Whether working with individuals or entire organizations, it reveals hidden dynamics, connects people with performance, and adapts in real time to the complexity of the moment.

The result: leaders and teams who face blind spots with courage, navigate relationships with clarity, and turn change into lasting growth.

I DO work with

Sharpening Presence and Authority.
I work with CEOs, executives and business owners who want to lead with greater impact. Typical enquiries include stepping into a new role, aligning strategy with execution, and managing complex stakeholders without losing clarity or confidence.

Unsticking Growth and Strategy.
I coach leadership teams and organizations facing inflection points – from stalled growth after rapid scaling to cultural drift post-merger. Coaching helps resolve leadership conflict, break down silos, and turn strategy from slides into execution.

Facing Blind Spots and Building Resilience.
Some leaders and shareholders look successful from the outside yet feel blocked inside. Coaching cuts through the noise revealing blind spots, strengthening resilience where pressure is highest, and reconnecting them with a sense of purpose that drives both clarity and momentum.

I DON’T work with

Emotional Healing Beyond Leadership.
Enquiries that fall outside the professional and leadership context. If the focus is on trauma recovery, mental health, or personal counseling, these areas are best supported by licensed therapists who work with deeply personal matters unrelated to work.

Beyond Pep Talks.
Motivational speeches or “feel good” coaching is not what I offer. Quick inspiration, hype sessions, or generic advice without context won’t create real change. The focus is on business realities — building clarity, alignment, and a professional purpose that lasts.

Change Requires Commitment.
Coaching only works if you’re ready to act. If you expect change without effort or advice without follow-through, I’m not the right coach. My role is to guide, challenge, and accelerate growth — but it’s the leader who must do the work.